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4/29/1985: Yankee Bobby Meacham batted in the top of the fourth inning in Texas with two runners on and one out. He homered off Frank Tanana, but didn’t expect the ball to leave the park. While he was running towards and around first, the runner at first, Willie Randolph was headed back to the bag to tag up. Neither Randolph nor Meacham expected the ball to leave the yard. They collided just past first base and Meacham was called out for passing Randolph and ended up being credited with a two-run single. By the way, this was Billy Martin’s first day on the job for one of his stints as New York manager.

ByTom

4/29/1985: Yankee Bobby Meacham batted in the top of the fourth inning in Texas with two runners on and one out. He homered off Frank Tanana, but didn’t expect the ball to leave the park. While he was running towards and around first, the runner at first, Willie Randolph was headed back to the bag to tag up. Neither Randolph nor Meacham expected the ball to leave the yard. They collided just past first base and Meacham was called out for passing Randolph and ended up being credited with a two-run single. By the way, this was Billy Martin’s first day on the job for one of his stints as New York manager.

gorman thomas seattle
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Gorman Thomas hits three home runs and drives in six runs to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 14 – 6 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1985 – Gorman Thomas hits three home runs and drives in six runs to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 14 – 6 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

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8/14/1983: In the bottom of the fifth inning at Comiskey Park, Carlton Fisk hit a ball to left field that third base umpire Greg Kosc ruled a home run. However, plate umpire Jim Evans over-ruled Kosc and ruled the play as fan interference and a double for Fisk. The White Sox lost two runs, manager Tony La Russa was ejected and protested the game. Neither runner scored in the inning and the Orioles won the contest, 2-1.

ByTom

8/14/1983: In the bottom of the fifth inning at Comiskey Park, Carlton Fisk hit a ball to left field that third base umpire Greg Kosc ruled a home run. However, plate umpire Jim Evans over-ruled Kosc and ruled the play as fan interference and a double for Fisk. The White Sox lost two runs, manager Tony La Russa was ejected and protested the game. Neither runner scored in the inning and the Orioles won the contest, 2-1.

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6/17/1983: In the top of the second inning, Al Cowens of the Mariners circled the bases on an inside the park home run to left field. However, Cowens was called out on appeal for missing the second base bag during his dash in Kansas City.

ByTom

6/17/1983: In the top of the second inning, Al Cowens of the Mariners circled the bases on an inside the park home run to left field. However, Cowens was called out on appeal for missing the second base bag during his dash in Kansas City.

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9/13/1982: In the first game of a doubleheader in Boston, Toby Harrah hit a high fly down the left field line that hit the pole just above the wall. Third base umpire Maloney ruled that the ball hit the yellow line on the wall and was in play. The pitcher was Oil Can Boyd; Harrah was the third batter Boyd faced in his debut after retiring the first two.

ByThis Day in Baseball

9/13/1982: In the first game of a doubleheader in Boston, Toby Harrah hit a high fly down the left field line that hit the pole just above the wall. Third base umpire Maloney ruled that the ball hit the yellow line on the wall and was in play. The pitcher was Oil Can Boyd; Harrah was the third batter Boyd faced in his debut after retiring the first two.

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5/14/1982: Pittsburgh’s Lee Lacy batted in the bottom of the eighth inning as the first batter to face Tom Hume of the Reds. The bases were loaded with no outs and Lacy hit one of Hume’s pitches out of the park. However, in the celebration during his run around the bases, Lacy passed Omar Moreno between first and second. He is credited with a single and three runs batted in. Luckily, Moreno’s run won the game for the Pirates 8-7.

ByTom

5/14/1982: Pittsburgh’s Lee Lacy batted in the bottom of the eighth inning as the first batter to face Tom Hume of the Reds. The bases were loaded with no outs and Lacy hit one of Hume’s pitches out of the park. However, in the celebration during his run around the bases, Lacy passed Omar Moreno between first and second. He is credited with a single and three runs batted in. Luckily, Moreno’s run won the game for the Pirates 8-7.

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6/5/1979: Seattle’s Willie Horton hit a towering fly ball in the eighth inning of a game in the Kingdome. The drive, off Detroit’s John Hiller, hit a speaker in left field and became a single. If it had not, it would have been Horton’s 300th home run, which came the next day off Jack Morris.

ByTom

6/5/1979: Seattle’s Willie Horton hit a towering fly ball in the eighth inning of a game in the Kingdome. The drive, off Detroit’s John Hiller, hit a speaker in left field and became a single. If it had not, it would have been Horton’s 300th home run, which came the next day off Jack Morris.

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9/6/1978 (Game 2): In the top of the third inning in Anaheim, umpire Bill Deegan called time when a paper airplane landed on the field. Angels hurler Paul Hartzell delivered his pitch just after the arbiter’s call and John Lowenstein hit the ball over the right field fence for an apparent home run. However, due to Deegan’s time out call, Lowenstein lost his homer and later walked and scored in the inning.

ByTom

9/6/1978 (Game 2): In the top of the third inning in Anaheim, umpire Bill Deegan called time when a paper airplane landed on the field. Angels hurler Paul Hartzell delivered his pitch just after the arbiter’s call and John Lowenstein hit the ball over the right field fence for an apparent home run. However, due to Deegan’s time out call, Lowenstein lost his homer and later walked and scored in the inning.

George Scott misses homerun on blown call

George Scott misses homerun on blown call

ByTom

8/10/1977: In the bottom of the 7th George Scott hit a ball at Fenway Park that struck the center field wall to the right of the vertical yellow line the separates a homer, if it hits to the right of the line, from a ball in play, so it should have been called a home run. Second base umpire Russ Goetz called the ball in play, however. Scott shouted at Goetz as he rounded second and gave the arm twirling motion for a homer. He legged out a triple on the play but might have had an inside the park homer if he had not complained to the umpire. See the top picture on this page to see the line on the wall (although the Green Monster seats were not there in 1977).

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7/21/1977: Butch Hobson lost his second of the season to an umpire’s call. In the seventh inning of game one, Hobson hit a ball to Fenway’s center field stands that was ruled off the wall by Ted Hendry. The Red Sox claimed that the ball caromed off a fan back onto the field. Neither of the two TV cameramen nearby had a definitive answer. Hobson ended with a double off Wayne Garland, which came with one man on base. Hobson batted a second time in the inning and homered and thus would have joined the short list of players with two home runs in one inning.

ByTom

7/21/1977: Butch Hobson lost his second of the season to an umpire’s call. In the seventh inning of game one, Hobson hit a ball to Fenway’s center field stands that was ruled off the wall by Ted Hendry. The Red Sox claimed that the ball caromed off a fan back onto the field. Neither of the two TV cameramen nearby had a definitive answer. Hobson ended with a double off Wayne Garland, which came with one man on base. Hobson batted a second time in the inning and homered and thus would have joined the short list of players with two home runs in one inning.